Window structure and operating medium therefor



E. Y. 'HASHIMOTO WINDOW STRUCTURE AND OPERATING MEDIUM THEREFOR Filed 001;. 51, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 'F/GQ 3.

| 1/ Il/Vl/ lI/I INVENTOR.

0 S. 7 Y 0 E m r w v 4 fl. M E W Patented Aug. 19, 1952 OFFICE wi-NnoW smocrmmmn oemwrme Y MEDIUM 'rrmimroa EdwardIYVHashimoto,:wahiawagfialm, Territoryof Hawaii Applicatibn-Dctob'erBL 1950,,S'e'rialNo1 193,192

'ZClaims. 1 Thisxinvention relates to window- "structures, andxmore particularlv to windows of the -type having: a plurality of horizontally pivoted :winflow-"sectionsv :A.:mairr object of the invention is't'o provide a novel and improved window structure of the transom type; having: a plur'ality of horizontally pivotedxsections, said structure being simple" in construction, being e'asy to-operate," and involving relatively-inexpensiveparts;

A further object of theinvention i's-to provide an improved windowstructure of the tranzsom ty-pe which -provides maximum light transmissi'on-and ventilation, which is dep'endable-in operation; which is easy to install to maintain, and whichprovides' 'an attractive appearance.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will "become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure-..l is azfragmentary front elevational view of a portion of a building showing th'e' ins'tallation-of 'an improved window structure accordlngto the'present'invention;

Figure 2iis avertica'l cross-sectional v iew*taken on'ithe line -2'2 of Figure 1 Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional d'eta'il view-takenon line 3-3 of Figure 1';

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail 'vi'ew'taken on line 4'-4 of'l?igure 2;

=F'igure 5 is an enlargedcross-sedtlonai-l detail view taken on "line 5-5 of Figure '-1-; I

Figure 6 is across-sectional *view takenpn line G -'6" of' Fi'gurefi Figure 7 a" perspective detailview of one of the 'w i11dowpaneretainingj-clipscmployed "in the improvedwindow structure of Figures- 1" to'-i6.'

Referring to thedrawings, "I I- generally designates -a--frame, saidframe being a portion of "a building, "and constituting the support and closure'for awindowor transom. The frame ll includes vertical side members-i112; I2, the intermediate vertical member l3, the horizontal top member I'4,the sill structure l5',iand the respective depending extensions ofthe vertical memhers I 2', Hi'an'd 1'3, shown=respectively at l6, l1 and I8.- The enclosure. defined by the: frame members- I5, l6 and I8 may, for example; be a doorwaywand the frame enclosure defined be- .betransom sections. v

- Securedto the opposite side surfaces 'ofith'e intermediatezvertical frame-member I 3 arethe'retween themembers 12" and .:I3. and l2 and l3imay ,forwardly ifacing, vertical channel Slidably engaged in each vertical channel is. arrearward-ly facing channel member 26 whose web portionis formed with the evenly-spaced apertures zl' extending vertically for theentireleng th of the channel member.

Designated at 2Bv are respective transparent window panes horizontally. pivoted between the respective pairs of framemembers l2; .I3Tand. I3, 12". Pivotally secured to therespect-ive opposingv pairs of vertical ribs 23. arev thev respective 0pposing pairs of gear segments 29,- 2 9;ithe teeth ofv said gears engaging in the apertures 21 of: the respective 'channelmembers 2-6 slidablysupported inthe associated guide strips 2L Asshownin Figures 1,. 2-and 3, each window .pane--28--is secured'at its sidemargins to-a respectiveipair of gear segmentslB', 29. As showninFigureBpeaoh gear segment 29 is formed at its reartportion with a depending bracket 30 integral with the gear segment, :said bracket :30 having-a flange: Blatits lower end. Each gear-segment is likewise for-med with-the spaced-lugs 32; 33: and 34, a-s-shown-in Figure 3-, disposed-forwardly of and'parallelsto the bracket element 30. Eachwindow panesection 28 is installed with i-ts'side marginal portionsreceived between the bracket elements '30 and' the lugs 32 33 and 34 associated with the'respective gear members 29, the side marginal portionsof the gl'asspanes being. clamped to the gear segmentsby spring.v keys 35 which. are inserted between the forwardrsurfaces of the window panes and" the respective lugs 32, 3'3' and 31', as shown in Figure 3. Each key 35 comprises-a strip of spring metal having an inwardly bent top flange Sta-dapted to engage the top edge'ofthe window pane, having the respective, mutually inclined sections '37, 38, as shown in Figure 7, having ing the succeeding inclinedsections 40' and"'4'|f," as illustrated in Figure 7; The key member' 35 is .s ectiveyertical guide strips-Amend 20, thestripi adapted' tb be' wed'gih'gly' received between the with the U-bend 39 lockingly engaged between the lugs 33 and 34, as shown in Figure 3. The end section 4| of the key member is bent outwardly, as shown at 42, to provide a cushioning element which is engageable against a stationary stop lug 43, provided on the hollow rib 23 of the associated vertical guide strip l9.

As shown in Figure 4, a horizontal bearing sleeve 44 is secured in the intermediate portion of the vertical frame member l3 and rotatably mounted in the sleeve is a shaft 45 which has se-1 cured to its ends the respective sprocket gears 45,

4B, which mesh with the apertures 21 of the respective slidable channel members 26 carried in the guide strips I9 and 20 on opposite sides of the member I3. The sprockets 46 and 45', together with the shaft 45, provide a mechanical coupling between the vertical channel members 25 on oppositesides of the frame member I3. It will also be apparent that vertical movement of the apertured channel members 216 causes the gear segments 29 to be rotated, whereby the transparent window panes 28 are similarly rotated. For example, in Figure 3, if the gear segments 29 are rotated counterclockwise responsive to downward movement of the apertured channels 25, the window panes 28 are rotated counterclockwise from their full line positions, as shown in Figure 3, to their dotted line positions, causing said window panes to be moved to open positions. Similarly, by moving the channel members 25 upwardly, the window panes may be rotated from their open positions to their closed Journaled between the bracket 48 and a vertical guide strip 20, as shown in Figure 6, is a shaft member extending transverse to the Worm 49 and carrying a worm gear '52 which meshes With Worm 49. The bracket member 20' is in'vertical alignment with the guide strip 20 and slidably receives the apertured channel member 26 associated with said guide strip 20. Secured on the shaft 5| is a sprocket gear 53 which meshingly engages the apertured channel member 26, as

I shown in Figure 6. Therefore, when the crank handle 50 is rotated, the worm 49 rotates the shaft 5| and the gear 53 causes the apertured channel member 26 engaged thereby to move vertically. This causes the window panes 28 on both sides of the vertical frame member 13 to be rotated, inasmuch as the panes on opposite sides are mechanically coupled -together by means of the shaft 45 and the sprockets 46 and 46 which engage the respective apertured, vertically slid- "able channel members on the opposite sides of the frame member l3.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that all of the transparent window panes will be simultaneously rotated in response to rotation of the hand crank 50. Obviously, any

number. of window panes may be employed in the transom unit, and any number of sections may be 1 employed, each section being coupled to an adshaft 45 and the sprockets 46 and 46' carried by said shaft.

While a specific embodiment of an improved window structure of the transom type has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

- 1. In a window structure, a frame having vertical side members, respective opposed pairs of parallel gear segments rotatably secured to the respective side members for rotation around respective vertically spaced horizontal axes, each horizontal axis'being associated with one pair of opposed gear segments, a window pane] disposed between each pair of gear segments, clamping means carried by the gear segments and clampingly engaging the respective side marginal portions of the window panels, respective vertical rack bars slidably carried by the respective side members and meshing with the gear segments, whereby vertical movement of the rack bars rotates the window panels, a horizontal shaft journaled to said frame adjacent one of the side members, a first gear on said shaft meshing with one of said vertical rack bars, a hand crank journaled to said frame, a second gear on said shaft, and a worm axially secured to said hand crank and meshing with said second gear, a second frame adjacent the first named frameand having parallel gear segments and meshing rack bars adjacent the sides of the frame, a second horizontal shaft, a gear segment on one end of said second shaft meshing with a rack bar of the first frame, and a second gear on the other end of said second shaft meshing with the adjacent rack bar of the second frame, whereby actuation of one window will actuate all. y

2. In a window structure of the type having a plurality of frames arranged in adjacent side-byside relation, each frame having a plurality of window panels pivotally mounted therein for rotation around respective vertically spaced horizontal axes, each frame having adjacent vertical side members, a gear segment carried by each window panel on said adjacent side members, respective vertical rack bars carried by the adjacent vertical side members of the frames and meshing with-the gear segments therein, respective shafts extending through the side members between adjacent frames, and gears on the ends of the shafts meshing with the respective vertical rack bars in the adjacent frames, whereby all of thewindow panels may be simultaneously rotated jacent section by the use of a shaft similar to 7 by moving one of the rack bars vertically, and

, additional gear means meshing with-one of said rack bars for raising said last named rack ba and means for rotating said gear means.

. EDWARD Y. HAsI-IIMOTO.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesv are of record in the 

